Combination aerosol, container and applicator



Oct. 29, 1963 3,108,590

COMBINATION AEROSOL, CONTAINER AND APPLICATOR w. 6., GORMAN Filed May 21, 1962 FIG.

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3" 1 gig Patented Got. 29, l 953 fitice 3,108,590 (IGMBTYATHON AER 50L, C(PNTAENER AND APPLECATGR William G. German, Albany, N .Y., assignor to Esta Medical Laboratories, Inc, Dover, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,243 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-173) This invention relates to a new and improved applicator for applying medicament to a body cavity, this applicator having novel special provision for mounting a miniature aerosol container so that the aerosol container and the applicator itself together form a single relatively small device which is very easily handled and operated, either by a physician or one Wishing to provide himself with medicament or the like.

Further objects of the invention include the novel combination of anaerosol container and an applicator therefor in which the applicator is provided with special new and improved means for mounting a miniature aerosol container directly thereon in convenient position for being actuated manually, and the applicator stem is elongated and at a general rig t angle with respect to the aerosol container and to the means for attaching the container to the applicator, whereby this applicator can be used for administration extremely conveniently by handling the same at any angle with respect to the body and the body opening that the stem is to be inserted into, in contrast to bulky and unwieldy devices presently in use in the prior art wherein administration must be of the straight line type in which the possible container positions available for ready administration are severely limited.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a combined aerosol mounting means and applicator comprising an elongated stem for application to a body cavity, said stem having an orifice at the discharge end thereof and at the opposite end it is provided with a special new and improved manual grip including a barrel or bowl having an axis at essentially right angles to the axis of the stem, said barrel or bowl being hollow and provided with means for receiving and retaining temporarily a miniature aerosol the contents of which are to be deposited Within the body cavity, and in which the grip forms a fingerhold or handle which is extremely easy of operation for self-administration of the container contents, etc.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a View in side elevation of the applicator showing the aerosol container secured with respect thereto, part being in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the barrel of the applicator, and showing the aerosol in open, operative condition;

FIG. 3 is a slightly reduced view looking in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 2 but with the aerosol removed;

FIG. 4 is a plan View of the device looking in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 1, part being in section;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the aerosol gasket, and

PEG. 6 is a sectional view of the aerosol in closed condition.

The present device is extremely convenient and easy to use and is of relatively simple construction. The applicator itself comprises an elongated stem 16 which may conveniently be made of any kind of suitable material such as rubber or plastic and this stem is conveniently provided with a central elongated axial passage 12 for 2 the travel of a medicament to and through the applicator tip 14, the latter being apertured where convenient or desired as shown at 16 in FIG. 4.

At the opposite end of the stem 10 from the applicator tip 14 there is provided an aerosol containing device including a grip or handle whereby the aerosol is mounted directly on the applicator and is quickly and easily operated by the fingers of either hand of the person self-administering the contents of the aerosol or of the physician.

The grip or handle is conveniently made of suitable materials such as rubber or plastic, and includes a barrel 0r bowl 18 which is hollow (see FIG. 2). This barrel or bowl is open at one end as at 20 for the reception of the miniature aerosol container 22 and at its opposite end it is provided with a convenient substantially flat member 24 upon which the fingers of the hand is adapted to rest. A projection 26 of convenient fiat or gently curved shape stands up from the member 24 adjacent the connection thereof to stem 10.

The inside of the barrel or bowl 18 is provided with a substantially flat bottom surface 28 having a radial projection 30 therein, said radial projection being provided with a passage 32 communicating with that at 12 (see FIG. 2). There is a downwardly projecting hollow sleeve-like central member generally indicated at 34 and this includes an annular shelf or shoulder 36. In the center of the shelf 36 there is an extending cylindrical tip 33, this tip having radial notches 49 therein at the edges thereof. The entire projection 34 is provided with passage 42, this having a right angle bend with respect to pas-sage 32 and communicating therewith as seen in FIG. 2.

The aerosol container 22 comprises in general a bottle or container having a lip 44 on which is mounted a distensible or distortable circular gasket 46, this gasket having a thickened central portion 48 surrounded by a series of openings 50, which act as passages for the material contained in the aerosol. There is also an annular ferrule 52 crimping the enlarged edge of the gasket 46 to the lip of the container at 44. This ferrule has a downturned central sleeve or skirt 54, the edge of which normally contacts the gasket about the central thickened portion 48 within the annular row of apertures 56, stretch- .ing the gasket so that the inherent resiliency of the rubberlike gasket normally maintains the aerosol 22 in closed condition against the edge of the skirt 54. However, the central portion 48 of the gasket can be engaged and dislodged by means extending down through the skirt and then of course the aerosol container contents can pass out through apertures 54} and through the skirt 54 to the ambient atmosphere.

However in the present case when the aerosol container 22' is thrust within the barrel 18, the downturned skirt 54 slidingly engages the exterior surface of tip 38 of the projection 34 so that the aerosol container is lightly temporarily held in the position shown as for instance in FIGS. 1 and 2. With fingers engaging the surface at 24 the thumb as at 56 may then be placed on the bottom of the min-ature aerosol container. When the fingers and thumb are squeezed it will be apparent that the tip 38 of projection 34 will impinge upon the central portion 48 of the gasket &6, thus dislodging the same and separating it from the edges of the downturned skirt 54. This forms a continuous connection between the interior of the aerosol and the passages 42 and 12 by means of openings 50 and notches 49 in the tip 38. Other manual arrangements can also be practiced, according to convenience.

This device can be used with the aerosol 22 in any angular position relative to the body cavity being treated, and thus it can be operated by either hand or by both hands. Also the person being treated can use the device anally or apply it to the vagina standing, lying down, or in any convenient position. The miniature aerosol provides a predetermined single dosage and can be thrown away once used, and also the applicator itself is so inexpensive as to allow it to be disposed of after a single use also, but it can also be cleaned and reused.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, 1 do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. The combination of an applicator for a medicament with an aerosol medicament container, said applicator including an elongated stem having a passage therethrough, an applicator tip at one end of the stem, a hand g ip at the other end of the applicator stern, said hand grip including means for lightly temporarily holding and operating the aerosol container at an approximate right angle to the length of the stem, said means including a projection having a passage leading the aerosol contents to the first-named passage and thence to the applicator tip, a valve for the aerosol, said valve including a depressiole gasket engaged by the projection and a generally tubular skirt receiving the projection and serving to connect the projection with the aerosol, said grip including means to which fingers of the operator may be applied to grasp the container and move it relative to the projection for depressing the gasket of the aerosol valve to operate the aerosol.

2. The combination of an applicator comprising an elongated stern having a passage therethrough, an applica-tor tip at one end thereof and a hand grip at the opposite end thereof, with a miniature aerosol, said miniature aerosol comprising a container having a rim forming a month, an apertured gasket disposed on the rim and extending across the opening, a ferrule securing the gasket to the rim, said ferrule including an inwardly extending skirt having an edge impinging upon the gasket at the central portion thereof and closing the openings to the exterior of the container, the hand grip of the applicator including means to hold the aerosol generally normal to the length of the elongated stern, and a projection on the grip adapted to extend into the skirt on the ferrule of the aerosol, said projection impinging upon said gasket at the central portion thereof to stretch the same to allow contents of the aerosol to proceed through the gasket openings, there being means in said projection providing an opening into the stem passage and thence into the tip.

References {lite-r1 in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,532 Mobley Jan. 18, 1927 1,961,371 Mapes June 5, 1934 2,627,271 Purser Feb. 3, 1953 2,672,869 Manville Mar. 23, 1954 2,863,699 Elser Dec. 9, 1958 2,865,370 Gattone Dec. 23, 1958 2,908,446 Strouse Oot. 13, 1959 2,913,749 Ayres Nov. 24, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 108,590 October 29 1963 William G. Gorman It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent reqiiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

and in the heading to In the sheet of drawings, line 2, the printed specification, lines 2 and 3, title of invention,

CONTAINER AND APPLICATOR", each for "C(MBINATION AEROSOL, occurrence, read COMBINATION AEROSOL CONTAINER AND APPLICATOR Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 1964 (SEAL) Attest: ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. THE COMBINATION OF AN APPLICATOR FOR A MEDICAMENT WITH AN AEROSOL MEDICAMENT CONTAINER, SAID APPLICATOR INCLUDING AN ELONGATED STEM HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, AN APPLICATOR TIP AT ONE END OF THE STEM, A HAND GRIP AT THE OTHER END OF THE APPLICATOR STEM, SAID HAND GRIP INCLUDING MEANS FOR LIGHTLY TEMPORARILY HOLDING AND OPERATING THE AEROSOL CONTAINER AT AN APPROXIMATE RIGHT ANGLE TO THE LENGTH OF THE STEM, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A PROJECTION HAVING A PASSAGE LEADING THE AEROSOL CONTENTS TO THE FIRST-NAMED PASSAGE AND THENCE TO THE APPLICATOR TIP, A VALVE FOR THE AEROSOL, SAID VALVE INCLUDING A DEPRESSIBLE GASKET ENGAGED BY THE PROJECTION AND A GENERALLY TUBULAR SKIRT RECEIVING THE PROJECTION AND SERVING TO CONNECT THE PROJECTION WITH THE AEROSOL, SAID GRIP INCLUDING MEANS TO WHICH FINGERS OF THE OPERATOR MAY BE APPLIED TO GRASP THE CONTAINER AND MOVE IT RELATIVE TO THE PROJECTION FOR DEPRESSING THE GASKET OF THE AEROSOL VALVE TO OPERATE THE AEROSOL. 